I barely got a wink of sleep. | AP. Layton said the temple started out as a civil rights movement and he compared Jones to Martin Luther King Jr., but 'obviously things turned out differently,' he said. "If I hadn't been sent to Georgetown that day (in May)," Deborah Layton says now, "I would have died in Jonestown. "Every week we're ordered to drink some liquid," she writes, culling her memories of the "old tapes (of Jonestown recollections that) are running in my head. At the pavilion for breakfast, I did my best to appear unruffled. Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Biography submission guide. His first encounter with organized crime was through his father, a metal worker who delivered bribes to the New York mafia. [29][13] The program is four hours long. [30] The Lake St. Louis police chief praised Larry's message about the consequences of going to prison and said it is not a scared straight program, noting that Lawton said "fear doesn't have a lasting impact. But Dr. Layton denied strongly in a separate interview that he had ever been antiSemitic. Jonestown was the agricultural compound Jones' followers carved out of the Guyanese jungle, 150 miles northwest of the nation's capital, Georgetown. In 1965, after riots shook Watts, an African-American neighborhood in Los Angeles, Ryan briefly took a job there as a substitute teacher while serving in the state Assembly, and used the experience to shape education policy. She arrived in London at 16, was met by some cousins and got what she would later call the biggest surprise of her life: I discovered that I was Jewish.. The land later became the site of a large Union Carbide plant. Inquiry by Congressman. Layton, Deborah 1953- PERSONAL: Born in 1953, in Tooele, UT; daughter of Laurence Laird and Lisa Layton; married; children: Lauren. Besides, when had a congressman ever been assassinated on foreign soil while on a congressional delegation trip? Deborah said that before her escape she had obtained a bottle of wine and taken it to the commune against Mr. Jones's rules. Initially discouraged, Larrys family pressed ahead with the petition for early release, collecting another 50 letters in support, including letters from former Temple members and critics, numerous religious leaders, and a former congressman. After spending 18 years in Guyana jails and U.S. federal prisons, Larry Layton, the only man convicted on criminal charges arising from the events of November 18, 1978, was released in April 2002. It was just a matter of time. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. At one point, Congressman Ryan interrupted our tour to make sure that the press and Concerned Relatives had been given the transportation to join us. The letters were presented during the hearing which resulted in a recommendation for Larrys release. Jackie Speier manages a smile as she is wheeled on a stretcher at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, Nov. 20, 1978. Judge Peckham also set April 21 for a hearing on a motion for a new trial filed by Mr. Layton's new defense attorney, Robert R. Bryan. We didnt want a group to present a canned response or any individual to look to others for their answers. He was to use the skill when the flock made its planned migration to the Guyana settlement, which Jones already had picked out and named Jonestown. Jim Jones, and 912 of his followers died by poison and gunfire in mass killings and suicides. His suggestion that I would learn far more from first-hand experience was in step with the way he approached politics. [28] Often he appears discussing crimes in the media as an expert on robberies. In the weeks leading up to the White House decision on the petition, a number of former congressmen and religious leaders including Rev. The chaos persisted until, abruptly, a silence fell. Philip Wogaman, President and Mrs. Clintons pastor in Washington, D.C. made additional pleas for commutation of Larrys sentence. While he was never charged with shooting Mr. Ryan, the Government contended that Mr. Layton conspired with Mr. Jones and other cult members to kill the Congressman and others in his group to prevent them from returning to the United States with negative reports about Jonestown. Before the New West issue hit the stands, Jones and hundreds of his followers had left San Francisco for Jonestown, their promised land in Guyana. well, it wasn't there. Sure enough, I could tell he had. Later, Jones also became enamoured of the new Mrs. Layton and soon added her, too, to his growing harem of temple members. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro [1][2], In 2007, he started the Reality Check Program to help educate at-risk youths on the consequences of breaking the law. Also there was a strong feeling of community -- people of all races who really cared about each other.'. [10] High school students can use the time spent in the program towards the 75 hours of community service required for the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. He is the son of Lawrence L. Layton, a prominent biolgist at the University of California, and was raised in a cultural, intellectual atmosphere. Jones became enamoured with Carolyn Layton and told Larry he wanted her for his own. On November 17, we landed at the tiny airstrip at Port Kaituma. Later on, I decided I had to show them. Lawrence Robert Lawton (born October 3, 1961) is an American ex-convict, author, paralegal, motivational speaker, and YouTuber. Before I could even comprehend what was happening, about a dozen men leapt from the tractor, leveled their automatic weapons, and fast approached. ref: Sparkle Lee Larry Layton 40-36 Tony Lundy 40-36 Lindsey Page 40-35 2020-01-10: Alicia Napoleon Espinosa: L-UD. Increasing numbers of people approached us. Much later, Layton writes, she would find them "on the bookshelf in Father's house with the many other prescription drugs taken from Temple members.". Sam was certain Jones had something to do with his sons death. Though driven by the kind of underlying insecurity that so often fuels tyrants, Jones appeared to offer hope, redemption, and an idealistic new life. Hours later at the Jonestown emcampment, Jones led the death rite of himself and his followers. In San Francisco, his church was lauded for its social programs, and Jones efforts to feed the poor and fight segregation found receptive ears with progressive politicians. Secretly, she offered her mother a glass of the wine. Jones then gave Layton permission to remarry a woman named Karen Tow. It paints a convincing picture of what it was like to spend seven years in the notorious cult, only to escape a few months before the tragedy that gave Jonestown its infamous place in history as the site of the largest mass suicide in modern times. "[33] Lawton and the police chief later appeared before United States Congress in recognition of the program. With Joness wild gaze on us, I tape-recorded affidavits of their wishes to return to the United States. The outfits were a ridiculous gimmick, and the role was clearly objectifying. Ryan wanted to investigate. In Congress, he joined a March 1978 Greenpeace mission to investigate the slaughter of baby seals in Newfoundland, Canada. Layton became a senior insider in Jones' entourage. The two store owners were bound while two individuals robbed the store and a third acted as a lookout and the other as the getaway driver. He. To the volatile flight home. Larry Howard Layton, 80, of Green Valley, AZ passed away December 10, 2020 from complications of COVID-19. Initially she was allowed to recuperate in a cabin of her own, but later she was moved into a crowded dormitorystyle cabin with other elderly women. Larry Layton, who had boarded the small Cessna aircraft began open firing on its occupants which wounded several of them before he was disarmed by one of the people inside. Mrs. Layton saw Mr. Jones strip Larry of two wives. To the stretchers. | California Historical Society. I noticed an elderly woman stuffing pieces of bacon into her pockets; the ample spread was just another showpiece. In Ukiah, Layton's free will was already beginning to slip away, according to his lawyers. The morning after our arrival, Congressman Ryan, Jim Schollaert and I attended a closed-door briefing by Ambassador John Burke and his staff at the U.S. Embassy. Anyone can read what you share. And it wasn't an isolated incident. While asserting that Mr. Jones was ''primarily responsible'' for the killings at the airstrip, Federal District Judge Robert F. Peckham said Mr. Layton would be eligible for parole after five years. All I could think was I am not going to make Grandma live through my funeral. Besides, when had a congressman ever been assassinated on foreign soil while on a congressional delegation trip? Whatever impelled me to send in the card changed the course of my life. His family, too, had had great wealth. Not long after she left, her parents were rounded up with other Jews and placed on a train to a death camp. We saw an impressive community with dozens of pathways, cabins, a medical center, a little school, and a large pavilion where the members congregated regularly. Onboard, every bump we hit shot an arrow of pain through my body. Her mother, on discovering that her husband was having an affair with Lisa's English governess, gave Lisa a detailed account of it and threatened to commit suicide. Mrs. Layton's daughter, Deborah, joined the cult five years ago. I wanted to leave my daughter a legacy that wasn't that simple.". It was nothing of the kind. Larry shot and wounded two people at the Port Kaituma airstrip on 18 November 1978, and he attempted to shoot a third. [8], In 2019, he made a video with Vanity Fair where he analyzed fictional robberies from films such as The Italian Job and Heat. Monica confirmed that she wanted to leave. He went, and pursued the destiny that brought him to trial in San Francisco. He was born in the mountains of West Virginia, between White Sulphur Springs and Charleston, to a family that had helped settle Virginia 225 years earlier and claimed ancestors datmg from the Mayflower. They were cal culated to make you feel someone has to pay. When people refer to the Jonestown massacre as a mass suicide, I am enraged. I did not recover my old self; bullets render that impossible. Peoples Temple follower Larry Layton, center, stands with police following his arrest in the shooting of two people, including California Congressman Leo Ryan, on a remote Guyana airstrip, Nov. 18, 1978. Moments later, Congressman Ryan emerged from a throng of people with a torn and bloodied shirt. To access these PDF files you must have the free Adobe Reader installed. Layton, 35, emerged as the only defendant alive and available for prosecution in the government's attempt to exact justice from the Jonestown horrors. Jim Jones. Her book "Seductive Poison" will be in bookstores in November. Judge Peckham imposed the same five-year parole date on those counts. But it was the testimony of Vern Gosney, one of Larrys shooting victims at the Port Kaituma airstrip, who traveled from Hawaii for the sole purpose of attending the hearing and who delivered the most impassioned plea for Larrys release, that apparently made the difference. In 1978, I went to Guyana on a fact-finding mission. As one of his top aides, I accompanied the delegation, venturing out on the ice floes where the clubbing took place. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. [18], Lawton is believed to have hit around 20 to 25 jewelry stores,[11] stealing a self-estimated total of around $1518 million worth of high-value items, including watches, diamonds, and other gems. Mr. Layton was convicted here last Dec. 1 of conspiracy in the murder of Mr. Ryan, a California Democrat who had led a group that was investigating conditions at Jonestown and reports that people were being held there against their will. That date was later moved back to April 2004, after the board credited him for his time in the Georgetown jail. By Katherine Bishop, Special To the New York Times. Mr. Layton cried as his attorney described conditions at Jonestown and said that many prosecution witnesses must feel guilty for leaving loved ones behind to die. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. If there is such a thing as a spirit or essence of people . Larry Layton, a former member of the People's Temple cult, was sentenced today to life in prison for aiding and abetting in the murder of Representative Leo J. Ryan at a jungle airstrip in Guyana . My recovery continuedthough that very word is not an accurate description of the aftermath of being shot. His following grew, and Jones became the leader of one of the first mixed-race churches in Indiana. The next year, his church relocated to Redwood Valley, a small community in northern California. ''Look at whether their feelings against Jones were spilling over toward Larry Layton. Everybody bolted in different directions. Her father, a talented violinist hated his father for making him go into banking rather than music. While on the phone listening to the allegations that would soon be made public, Jones scribbled a note to his aides: We leave tonight.. After a few weeks, Layton grew "accustomed to the unusual smells in the food and drink. Biography Mini Bio (1) Larry Layton is known for Viva (2007) and Escape to Grizzly Mountain (2000). But I was one of very few women who held senior staff positions in Congress at the time, and I was concerned that if I gave in to my reluctance and let a male colleague go in my place, Id be setting back women in politics. Mr. Jones repeatedly sent word to her that he could cure her from Guyana, and she waited for his efforts to work. Infants cannot commit suicide. Layton did so. We accompanied Assemblyman Ryan to shopping centers and campaign events to pass out pamphlets and speak with voters. They had passed. [13], In May 1994, three males robbed a jewelry store in Daytona Beach, Florida, netting $500,000 (nearly $950,000 in 2022)[14] worth of gold and diamonds. The news at the time and the history lessons to follow usually fail to mention that a number of Peoples Temple members were shot, several of whom were in the field between the pavilion and the jungle, clearly trying to escape the massacre. Dr. Layton recalls that his wife began to resist his sexual advances and, when he protested, offered to move out. Laurence Laird Layton, a distinguished scientist whose later life was devastated by his family's involvement with the Peoples Temple cult, died Wednesday in his Emeryville home. Mrs. Layton divorced her husband in 1975 and their home on the Berkeley hilltop was sold. Hours after the incident, the Rev. In August 1979, he joined the Coast Guard[9] and took part in the Mariel boatlift. Their daughter, after working briefly as a physical therapist in New York, went for graduate study as a therapist to Pennsylvania State University, where her uncle, Dr. Franck, was teaching. Subsequently, he said, she urged him to have an affair. Tony Tamburello, the defense attorney, told jurors in his closing arguments that the prosecutors had sensationalized the case against Mr. Layton in the three-week trial in Federal District Court. He said that some of the recipients could be innocent. [44] Lawton has a YouTube channel, and he has made videos analyzing heists in movies and video games such as Grand Theft Auto V; he also plays Prison Architect.[44][45]. Please help us get out of Jonestown. Soon after, Don was approached by another member, who claimed that many Temple members desperately wanted to leave but were too terrified to come forward. I was later told that he had been shot 45 times. But the moment I looked down at my own body is locked in my mind. [35][36] It also hosts an annual bowling tournament. Jim Jones, with his omnipresent dark glasses and his sweeping red robe, was the anchor of her newfound life and, like many Temple members, she was mesmerized by him. At the end of the evening, Rep. Ryan walked onstage and thanked the group. In addition, Mr. Layton was convicted of aiding and abetting the murder of Mr. Ryan and the attempted murder of Mr. Dwyer. Traumatizing family rifts erupted on the spot, with mothers and fathers engaged in literal tug-of-wars over their children. 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